rachels.haven's Journal

[Baymule]

Birthing fluids and goop must be some yummy stuff. My dog Sentry is perfect in every way, but steals newborns and fights the momma off. They die. Once up, dry, on their feet and nursing, he would die protecting them. I feel your pain.

Coyotes. They are bold and would come right up in the yard if I didn’t have it fenced in.

Bailey will have to be a farmyard dog later, Riker needs the backup. How old is Riker? It might be time for another puppy so Bailey can retire in the next couple of years, if she doesn’t decide on that sooner.

 

[rachels.haven]

Birthing fluids and goop must be some yummy stuff. My dog Sentry is perfect in every way, but steals newborns and fights the momma off. They die. Once up, dry, on their feet and nursing, he would die protecting them. I feel your pain.

Coyotes. They are bold and would come right up in the yard if I didn’t have it fenced in.

Bailey will have to be a farmyard dog later, Riker needs the backup. How old is Riker? It might be time for another puppy so Bailey can retire in the next couple of years, if she doesn’t decide on that sooner.

Riker is a little over 2 years old. He's a little vapid and hard to catch but he worships the ground the goats walk on and has taken to his herd like a natural. Going with the goats when they walk around the pasture and laying with them when they browse and graze fulfills him. Mark says he makes Bailey look like a slouch (but she's a vicious freight train with the coyotes at night). I was hoping we could make it to 5 years with Riker before making him train/giving him a partner to help him figure things out since he's so dense but this does make me think I may need to move that up a little bit. I also do not love the puppy looking process and the risk.

I got Bailey back in after a brief wandering around. She looked a little lost and disheveled. She'd been sleeping by the shop all day next to the hay. She's been doing lots of sleeping for the past little while. Eating once a day. (Both dogs are finally on the same food with no negative consequences and it's finally not uber expensive-IAMS!) I hope she's not losing her marbles as part of dog aging. Hopefully it's just the moisture and I won't have to move things up too much.

 

[Ridgetop]

I was hoping we could make it to 5 years with Riker before making him train/giving him a partner to help him figure things out since he's so dense

He is good to protect now. Waiting till he is 5 is not a good idea. At 7-8 Bailey is not too old and will still help train a new pup.

She looked a little lost and disheveled. She'd been sleeping by the shop all day next to the hay. She's been doing lots of sleeping for the past little while.

She may be sleeping more during the day because she is working all night with the coyote load. Often the older dog will do all the night duty until they feel the younger one has grown enough and learned enough to do night duty. When the older dog is doing the entire night duty they will sleep just about all day. Once they feel the younger dog is big enough and smart enough they will let the young dog take over night duty.

If your coyotes are bad, I suggest you start looking NOW for another LGD instead of waiting until you really need one and are desperate. Both dogs will train the new pup.

 

[Baymule]

There is a FB group, the ONLY LGD group I belong to, called Farmers Only LGDs. It is a no nonsense group that does not allow the crowd in that believes puppies should go live in the house and can’t be trusted until 2 years old. If you go looking for a puppy, start there. There are some GP breeders that have been raising GPs for decades and have good working lines.

I understand the puppy search, having done that before.

 

[ricardomark]

Considering Tomorrow is priced at $54 at PBS animal health, it's advisable to purchase more before it runs out, though uncertainties exist about the expiration date for use at dry off.
Managing clinical mastitis during dry off is crucial, and exploring alternatives with your vet, such as a specific pneumonia drug or penicillin/oxytetracycline, can address potential concerns.
Navigating expiration dates can be challenging, but discussing options with the vet for pneumonia treatment and securing additional Tomorrow can contribute to your herd's health management.

Well, Tomorrow is still $54ish at PBS animal health. I guess I should get some more before it's gone. I wish I knew if the expiration date would be far enough off to use at dry off. Dry off is always the time I get clinical mastitis in the does if I'm going to get it in the herd. I guess we could try using it year end to help my nerves calm about it. I still have today-two expired boxes and one good one. Darn expiration dates.

I wonder if I can get the vet to give me a drug specifically for pneumonia or if I'll have to use penicillin or oxytetricycline.

 

[Ridgetop]

Keep it in the fridge and it will last past the expiration date.

 

[rachels.haven]

Galaxy the noober gifted us with our 15th kid this year, a single doeling by Pete the lamancha. Galaxy is already planning all the fun milkstand adventures we're going to have together to pay me back for helping her birth that 7 pound "monster" kid.

The black seagulls are back for the year. Another reason for early January kidding. This morning they are on a fresh rabbit.

 

[farmerjan]

Those black buzzards are the sorriest thing to migrate north.... HATE THEM.....with a passion....
Congrats on the latest addition...
Doe is pretty with the moonspots...

 

[Ridgetop]

Excellent name to call them if I have to SSS and get caught! Hopefully with the Anatolians we won't have much of a problem but . . . .

 

[rachels.haven]

Is the foot ball over yet?